Immigration and Urbanization

Immigration

Birds of Passage

Urbanization

•Americanization mov’t

•Assimilation

•Discrimination and segregation

Urban Problems

•Housing - tenements

•Mass transit

•water, sanitation, crime, fire

Angel Island - California

•Why did we want them to come to America?

•Why did they want to come to America?

Asians in America• To help America’s economic development of

the new western territories, Chinese were recruited to labor in the frontier

•Caught between the white laboring class struggling for better working conditions, and capitalist exploitation of labor

•Chinese became scapegoats for the growing pains of the American labor movement in the West

Conditions at Angel Island

•U.S. officials hoped to deport as many as possible by asking obscure questions about Chinese villages and family histories that immigrants would have trouble answering correctly.

•While being detained, men and women were housed separately in barracks that were filthy, ramshackle buildings

Angel Island Detention Center

Tensions on the West Coast of

AmericaBut American laborers resented the Chinese

because the latter were willing to work for cheap wages. Americans accused the Chinese of monopolizing jobs.

Again, this complaint was lodged against the earlier immigrants from Western Europe. So how were these immigrants any different?

Immigration Laws

•Stiff immigration laws were passed. Many Chinese immigrants were forced to prove they had a husband or father who was a U. S. citizen or be deported.

•Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Chinese “Question”

•Debates centering on white superiority over yellow inferiority became nationally known as the "Chinese Question".

•The answer was the passage of the Exclusion Act of 1882

• Almost totally eliminating Chinese immigration. • Chinese already in America were declared

ineligible for citizenship.

Lester Tom Lee

• At age 16, Lester Tom Lee immigrated in 1935 byhimself to the United States. He was detained at least 2months at Angel Island.– "We ate vegetables twice a day and some very rough rice, very

hard to swallow. I was a growing boy and hungry."– "There were birds outside the wire fence. My hands were small

enough I could grab their necks and kill them. We used rice toattract the birds to us. We cleaned the birds in a toilet. Anotherboy had gotten some matches, somehow. Someone else had aknife. We gathered branches and we got newspaper and rolled itlike wood to make a fire. We barbecued birds that way, when theguards weren't around. It was the only tasty thing we could get."

Ellis Island - East Coast

Ellis Island•1892-1924 the chief immigration

station.

•17 million immigrants pass through

Social Gospel Mov’t

•Jane Adams

•Settlement houses

•Hull House

1st Nobel Peace prize awarded to a woman

Politics in the Gilded Age

Political MachinesPolitical machines Political machines controlled the controlled the activities of political activities of political parties in the city. parties in the city. Ward bosses, Ward bosses, precinct captains, precinct captains, and the city boss and the city boss worked to ensure worked to ensure that their that their candidates were candidates were elected and that city elected and that city government worked government worked to their advantage.to their advantage.

Political BossThe The “Boss”“Boss” (typically the (typically the

mayor) controlled jobs, mayor) controlled jobs, business licenses, and business licenses, and influenced the court influenced the court system. system. Precinct Precinct captainscaptains and and ward ward bossesbosses, often 1, often 1stst or 2 or 2ndnd generation immigrants, generation immigrants, helped new immigrantshelped new immigrants with jobs, housing, and with jobs, housing, and naturalization in naturalization in exchange for votes.exchange for votes.

Municipal Graft & Scandal

Some political bossesSome political bosseswere corrupt and theirwere corrupt and theirpolitical machinespolitical machinespracticed practiced election fraudelection fraudby using fake namesby using fake namesand voting multipleand voting multipletimes to ensure victory.times to ensure victory.BribesBribes were common were commonand constructionand constructioncontracts often resultedcontracts often resultedin in kick-backs. kick-backs. Because Because

thethepolice were hired by thepolice were hired by theboss, there was no closeboss, there was no closescrutiny.scrutiny.

The Tweed Ring ScandalThe Tweed Ring ScandalWilliam M. Tweed, known William M. Tweed, known

as as Boss Tweed,Boss Tweed, was head was head of of Tammany Hall,Tammany Hall, NYC’s NYC’s powerful Democratic powerful Democratic political machine. political machine. Between 1869-1871, he Between 1869-1871, he led the led the Tweed Ring Tweed Ring of of corrupt politicians in corrupt politicians in defrauding the city. defrauding the city. Convicted of 120 counts Convicted of 120 counts of fraud & of fraud & extortion, he extortion, he was sentenced to 12 was sentenced to 12 years in jail, but released years in jail, but released after one. Rearrested, he after one. Rearrested, he escaped to Spain.escaped to Spain.

William M. Tweed, known William M. Tweed, known as as Boss Tweed,Boss Tweed, was head was head of of Tammany Hall,Tammany Hall, NYC’s NYC’s powerful Democratic powerful Democratic political machine. political machine. Between 1869-1871, he Between 1869-1871, he led the led the Tweed Ring Tweed Ring of of corrupt politicians in corrupt politicians in defrauding the city. defrauding the city. Convicted of 120 counts Convicted of 120 counts of fraud & of fraud & extortion, he extortion, he was sentenced to 12 was sentenced to 12 years in jail, but released years in jail, but released after one. Rearrested, he after one. Rearrested, he escaped to Spain.escaped to Spain.

Thomas NastThomas Nast

The Tweed RingThe Tweed Ring

William Marcy Tweed (notorious head of Tammany Hall’s political machine)

[Thomas Nast crusading cartoonist/reporter]

William Marcy Tweed (notorious head of Tammany Hall’s political machine)

[Thomas Nast crusading cartoonist/reporter]

Civil Service Replaces PatronageNationally, some politicians pushed for reform Nationally, some politicians pushed for reform

in the hiring system, which had been based in the hiring system, which had been based onon Patronage Patronage (giving jobs and favors to those (giving jobs and favors to those who helped a candidate get elected). who helped a candidate get elected). Reformers pushed for adoption of aReformers pushed for adoption of a merit merit systemsystem ( (hiring the most qualified for jobs). hiring the most qualified for jobs). The The Pendleton Civil Service ActPendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 of 1883 authorized a bipartisan commission to make authorized a bipartisan commission to make appointments for federal jobs based on appointments for federal jobs based on performance.performance. Applicants for

federal jobsare required to

take a CivilService Exam

Nativism•American Protective

Association

•1897 literacy test - vetoed - but indicates nativism

•Anti-asian sentiment

•Chinese Exclusion Act 1882

•Gentlemen’s Agreement 1907-1908

http://la.indymedia.org/uploads/2007/01/nativism_is_so.jpg

Business Buys Influence •Harrison and Cleveland and High

Tariffs

•McKinley Tariff

•Wilson Gorman Tariff

passed by Republican Pres. Benjamin Harrison

made into law over Pres. Cleveland’s wishes

Lowering tariffs failed but spirit of change remained